It has been a surprisingly quiet week so far, perhaps because of the Olympics, but Ubisoft gave us a little treat. The four Sylvan hero bios that appeared on the official portal have been reprinted here. I already have a crush on Ylthin, who bears a vague resemblance to Liv Tyler in the Lord of the Rings. Her three companions look especially mean for a bunch of peaceful elves. You wouldn't want to mess with them.

The Dungeon Heroes page has also been updated with the descriptions from the official site. Gone is my own translation of the article!
CREATURES STATISTICS CREATURES ARTWORK
SKILLS ABILITIES
SYLVAN HEROES
TOWN BUILDINGS STRATEGY
Here is the background story behind ten heroes of the Sylvan faction. Click on the pictures to enlarge them.

Findan

More a poet and diplomat by taste and training than a warrior, Findan is less comfortable than many of his brethren in fighting at close quarters with a sword. He vastly prefers to strike quickly, and strike hard, but from a distance. His favorite tactic is to first weaken the enemy with a rain of well-aimed arrows.

Alaron

All Elves worship the ideal of Harmony; Alaron did so to the point that he even viewed his enemies as necessary and worthy. While this could be a good philosophy on a cosmic scale, it causes great difficulty when a leader of troops has a tendency to forgive and let live attacking troops. Understanding the political necessity of destroying others for the preservation of his realm, Alaron nevertheless avoids those moments whenever possible.

Gilraen

Grim and highly sensitive to questions of honor, Gilraen has studied long and hard in the styles of Elven fencing. He has become a renowned master of blades, and is an exacting teacher of the Battledance art. His precision, discipline, and intensity are shared by his troops as well; when he leads an army into battle the fighters owe much to the hours of training that they receive.

Ylthin

Hunted by a party of Dark Elf slavers at a tender age, Ylthin was saved from that gruesome fate by an avenging unicorn. Since that day she has worshipped those mysterious dwellers of the wood, and has dedicated her life to working with them. No one understands them better than Ylthin, and her knowledge enables her to use the unicorns’ swiftness and might in the most efficient way in battle.

Anwen

Anwen defends the woods and their flora and fauna with a zeal remarkable even by Elven standards. Self-exiled in the trackless forests of Irollan, she cares deeply for them and has become their recognized protector. Woe be to the foe who would damage the forest or those who protect it -- when Anwen is summoned to war the Goddess Sylanna fights by her side, and her wrath falls like a storm upon those who would injure that which she loves.

Dirael

Hovering wasps, circling hornets, busy honeybees - from childhood Dirael found these tiny flying creatures beautiful and fascinating, like precious buzzing jewels. She was so enamored that she became a Druid, to better delve into their lore and understand their mysteries. Eventually she responded to the call of the Harmony and went to war, and now she serves Sylanna by summoning hordes of her favorite creatures to sting and harass the enemy.

Ossir

Ossir is an experienced tracker and a prodigy with the bow; arguably the best shot in a nation famed for its talents in archery The respect he commands made him a natural choice when King Alaron was looking for officers, though Ossir would have preferred to remain in his beloved forests. All doubts were dispelled after his first battle, however, as his troops clearly benefited from his leadership.

Talanar

Talanar was the only survivor of one of the brutal attacks on The Day of the Tears of Fire. Seeing hundreds of his kinsmen die staggered the young warrior and filled him with an insatiable rage that returns whenever he sees his brethren fall in battle. His zeal for revenge is so great that it passes to those who are near him; the greater the losses suffered by his troops, the fiercer they become.

Vinrael

Vinrael has two attributes that make him valuable to the Elves – he is unusually observant, and he has seen more hours of battle than any other Sylvan warrior. His keen eyes, and those of his falcons, rove constantly before, during, and after a battle, studying all the elements of troops, tactics, and terrain. Analyzing both his own and the enemy’s actions, he learns enormously from both sides' successes and errors.

Wyngaal

Wyngaal started his life as a scout and hunter, but anger against those who would upset the Sylvan Harmony turned him into a warrior. He relies heavily on the knowledge of his early years, however, and is ever pondering pitfalls, traps, and surprises. Any enemy troops that face Wyngaal and his forces are unlikely to get the upper hand, as Wyngaal's alertness and experience give him a definitive edge.